CH 91

Chapter 91: The Fox Who Becomes a Spirit

“Princess, can you walk more slowly?” Ren Yaoqi could not help but said helplessly, tugging her hand, and could only follow in her pace.

Xiao Jinglin paused, turned her head to look at Ren Yaoqi, and slowed down a little.

Both of them were silent on the way.

Xiao Jinglin pulled Ren Yaoqi in the direction of the Bailong Temple’s guest courtyard. When they were almost at a relatively large separate courtyard, Xiao Jinglin said to Ren Yaoqi, “Keep one or two people with you. The rest will wait outside, I don’t like waited by too many people.”

Xiao Jinglin said this in a very justifiable manner. It was no wonder that she had no attendants around her. With her demeanor, no one would recognize her as the County Princess of the Yanbei Royal Family.

Ren Yaoqi complied with her wishes and said to the maids who were following her, “Xueli, go and tell Matron Zhou that I am having tea here with the County Princess and that Pingguo is here to serve. The rest of you wait outside.”

They were obliged. Xiao Jinglin continued to pull Ren Yaoqi forward, and Pingguo hurriedly followed.

This courtyard was not just larger than the previous one Ren Yaoqi had resided in. There were also several flowers and plants in here, some of which were flowering, while others simply had a few leaves and could not be seen.

A grape trellis was growing in the left corner. Under it was a small table made of tree roots. A tea tray was placed on the table, with a purple clay teapot and several small teacups on top of it.

Xiao Jinglin dragged Ren Yaoqi straight inside. However, when she reached the main room, she did not stop, but went around to the small gate on the left and went to the backyard.

When she came out of the gate, Ren Yaoqi found that her view was immediately broadened. There was no room in the backyard, but rather a place that looked like a garden, except that the ‘garden’ seemed to be untended. It only had some wildflowers and weeds that could not be named, and none of them were precious flowers and plants.

“Baa—” a strange cry made Ren Yaoqi turned her head in astonishment.

There was a round table and stool made of rough stones on the right side of the back garden, and a little goat was eating grass next to the stool.

And on that stone bench was a young man in white sitting facing them.

That young man looked down at the goat grazing, seemed to be very focused. Spring sunlight softly hit half of his face, highlighting his contoured so beautifully that one could not bear to disturb him and spoil his peaceful moment.

When he heard the commotion, he turned his head and looked over. There was no surprise in his eyes when he saw that it was Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin. He only looked at them and smiled slightly, the sudden smile that made Ren Yaoqi’s heart jump slightly.

Xiao Jinglin let go of Ren Yaoqi’s hand and went over to the young man himself. When she saw the little goat gently hit its head against a stone bench to the side seemingly wrestling with it, Xiao Jinglin bent down and grabbed the goat’s horn in her hand, yanked it outwards, and pulled it away.

“Baa-” The goat ran to the side. It turned its head and yelled.

“This is caught for you to eat, don’t feed it too much.” Xiao Jinglin clapped her hands and lifted her robe to sit down, only it was a pity that she was wearing a skirt and this action could not be done.

Ren Yaoqi looked at Xiao Jinglin’s words and actions, which seemed a little different from before. She walked over and curtsied at the teenager gazing at her, “Second Young Master Xiao.”

Xiao Jingxi smiled and nodded, gently pointing to the stool opposite his own, “Fifth Miss Ren. Please have a seat.”

Ren Yaoqi bowed her head in thanks and sat down.

At this time a young boy dressed as a servant brought over a tea tray and gently placed the tea in front of the individual without saying a word. Then he quietly retreated again.

Xiao Jingxi’s right thumb gently rubbed the tealight in his hand, and with a light smile on the corner of his mouth, he quietly stared at Ren Yaoqi.

Noticing that he didn’t say anything, Ren Yaoqi also didn’t and appeared indifferent to his stare. She just dropping her head and taking a drink of tea, but only barely dipping it with her lips.

The tea jar in her hand was a black glaze with a white peony pattern, which looked very plain and elegant, but Ren Yaoqi knew that most of these tea sets were ancient items from the previous dynasty, worth a thousand of gold. The courtyard looked simple and unadorned, the two people in front of her were dressed simply and in a leisurely manner, but the set of teacups that they casually took out for their guests was expensive and luxurious.

As if she couldn’t stand the silent atmosphere here, Xiao Jinglin patted her skirt and stood up. She frowned, stared at Xiao Jingxi and Ren Yaoqi with her beautiful thick sword eyebrows raised, and said in a light voice, “I’ll go to the front yard for a walk.”

Xiao Jingxi shifted his gaze to her but did not argue.

Xiao Jinglin took a few steps then suddenly stopped, turning her head to stare at Pingguo who was standing behind Ren Yaoqi like a wooden stake, “You come with me too.”

Pingguo glanced at her and then looked down at her toes, not moving.

Xiao Jinglin frowned and looked at Ren Yaoqi again.

“Go down,” Ren Yaoqi instructed.

Only then did Pingguo lower her head and follow Xiao Jinglin.

In a flash, only Xiao Jingxi and Ren Yaoqi were left in the backyard, not even one of the waiters was left. This was actually inappropriate, but no one would stand up and accuse them.

“I’ve always been curious…” Xiao Jingxi was the first to break the silence. His voice was deep and hoarse, neither rush nor slow, and his special rhythm could attract others’ attention effortlessly.

Ren Yaoqi put the tea down and met his gaze. Her crystal-clear eyes were as transparent as a shallow stream in the bright spring light.

Xiao Jingxi paused, the smile at the corners of his mouth slightly deepened, “What else does Miss Ren have to offer besides being good at lantern formations, playing chess, and guessing riddles…?”

Xiao Jingxi’s mention of lantern formations made Ren Yaoqi suddenly think of the carriage she saw that night of the Lantern Festival and the man in black whose face she didn’t see clearly.

She couldn’t help but take a closer look at Xiao Jingxi. The two men were about the same size, the man wore more so he didn’t look as thin as Xiao Jingxi, but if Xiao Jingxi had put on a thick cloak… the two men looked somewhat alike and somewhat unlike each other.

But Ren Yaoqi didn’t ask the question “Have we met before?” It was just a passing encounter, not a friendship.

“How is Zhu Ruomei?” So Ren Yaoqi asked directly.

Xiao Jingxi looked at Ren Yaoqi and smiled faintly, but did not say anything.

Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and spoke again, “I can also write calligraphy and paint, both taught by my father.”

Xiao Jingxi laughed lightly and said in a low voice, “He is fine, but he has suffered some injuries and his right leg has a broken tibia.”

This is still very good? Ren Yaoqi could not help but be speechless. However, she finally breathed a sigh of relief when she got the exact news from Zhu Ruomei.

“Thank you, Second Young Master Xiao, for saving him.” Ren Yaoqi thanked him sincerely.

Xiao Jingxi did not deny it, but asked, “What did you send him to Jizhou for?”

Ren Yaoqi was speechless at his words.

Xiao Jingxi’s smiling eyes were fixed on Ren Yaoqi, waiting patiently and without impatience.

“Sorry, this is my family matter,” said Ren Yaoqi, bowed her head.

Xiao Jingxi thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, “How about this, let’s play chess. If you win I will not ask and Zhu Ruomei will go with you. If you lose, you have to tell me why, and Zhu Ruomei will be my person from now on, life or death is none of your business.”

His voice was still unhurried, gentle, and leisurely. But the words that came out made Ren Yaoqi dumbfounded.

However, although the curve of Xiao Jingxi’s mouth was elegant and perfect, the words did not sound like a joke.

Ren Yaoqi was slightly angry, but the smile on her face was even gentler: “Second Young Master Xiao, you’re imposing yourself a bit, aren’t you?”

Xiao Jingxi smiled and asked in return, “How is this an imposition? I saved Zhu Ruomei, otherwise, he would have fallen off the cliff and died. As for the family matters you mentioned…”

Xiao Jingxi looked at Ren Yaoqi with a smirk.

Ren Yaocheng was speechless again.

No one threatened her since she opened her eyes once again. But this person was Xiao Jingxi.

Other people always described him as astonishingly talented and clever. But now Ren Yaoqi felt that this person must be a thousand-year-old fox cultivated into a spirit.

Xiao Jingxi seemed to know that Ren Yaoqi had already responded, smiled, and said, “Bring me my chess.”

His voice was not loud, but the boy who had brought the tea heard him and came out with a chessboard not long afterwards. Walking behind him was a man of medium build who was dressed similarly to him, Ren Yaoqi raised her head and opened her eyes, couldn’t help being slightly stunned.

The one who came behind the boy with two chess pots in his hands was Dongsheng.

Both Dongsheng and the boy gently placed the items in their hands on the stone table without looking at each other, and then quietly retreated again. But before he left, he could not help but raise his eyes and glance at Ren Yaoqi.

Xiao Jingxi noticed Ren Yaoqi’s gaze and said with some playfulness, “It seems my servant Tongxi has some connections with Miss Ren.”

Tongxi? Did he change Dongsheng’s name?

Ren Yaoqi took some white chess pieces and examined them for a moment, finding that they were the same as the clamshell stone “snow grade” she had seen at the Abbot’s place.

“That is a great honor for me.” Ren Yaoqi said indifferently.

Xiao Jingxi did not think it was an offense and smiled slightly, “Then how about letting you play black?” He said with the indulgence of a child.

Ren Yaoqi smiled back at him, “No, let’s take a blind guess.”

She wouldn’t dare to take advantage of him, Zhu Ruomei was a lesson from the past.

Xiao Jingxi was indifferent, smiling lightly as he gestured for Ren Yaoqi to begin.

Ren Yaoqi casually grabbed a few more white pieces and glanced at Xiao Jingxi.

“Even.” He slowly lowered his head and took a sip of tea, saying without looking.

Ren Yaoqi opened her hand and counted, “It’s an odd number.” She took black.

In her last life, Ren Yaoqi had played countless games with Sir Pei and had also studied with him some of the games recorded in chess books, so her chess skills had been honed over time.

That is why Han Yunqian was no match for her.

After only a few moves, however, Ren Yaoqi felt that Xiao Jingxi was different from any opponent she had ever encountered before.

Every time he landed a move, he gave Ren Yaoqi a sense of power, not aggressive, but unavoidable all the same.